Harvard University is looking to turn the page and improve the culture around its women’s hockey program following an independent review by law firm Jenner & Block, the school’s athletic director said Wednesday.
Harvard had commissioned the review of its women’s hockey program following two bombshell reports by the Boston Globe and The Athletic.
The outlets detailed allegations of hazing and abusive behavior under then-head coach Katey Stone, who retired amid the probe earlier in June.
“We now have an opportunity to end team traditions that are harmful to team culture and inconsistent with our community norms,” athletic director Erin McDermott said in a statement, according to the Boston Globe.
The review indicated that the athletic department’s “procedures and communications with student-athletes have led to confusion and frustration among members of our community, and there are areas where we must improve.”
But McDermott denied that the hockey program had a hazing problem.
“Our current women’s ice hockey team has not fostered a culture of hazing,” McDermott said in her statement.
“However, it is clear that some traditions in recent years were experienced differently by different people and not all were comfortable with those activities or with expressing concerns relating to the program.”
Read Related Also: A Look At Lily-Rose Depp's Dating History
Former Harvard women’s hockey players under Stone told the Boston Globe that they felt they had to participate in instances of hazing that included being forced to drink alcohol and “sexually charged role-playing.”
One player who reported what happened said she never heard from the administration about her complaints about the hazing or Stone.
In March, The Athletic reported similar instances of hazing, which included players having to participate in what was called a “Naked Skate.”
On Wednesday, McDermott called the law firm’s report “an opportunity for the athletics department to lead and foster a culture that reflects our values of mutual respect, support of one another, transparency in our processes and procedures, and a focus on the safety and dignity of our student-athletes.”
The school plans on launching a number of initiatives to help ensure issues such as these don’t arise again.
Stone, 57, was not accused of participating in the alleged incidents, though some players told the Boston Globe that she knew what was happening within the team.
She spent 29 years coaching Harvard and won 10 Beanpot trophies before she retired.
Harvard is still in search of a new head coach for the women’s program.
